The frantic final two weeks of preparation are winding down for Colt World Series Board president Tim Clark and his fellow volunteers.

Things might be slightly less frantic this summer. The board put out a call for more volunteer committee members, and 22 of the 27 helping with this year’s tournament are first-timers.

These individuals help with everything from mailings and phone calls to game management to helping land new sponsors. Clark said a boost in volunteers was crucial to keeping the tournament alive in Lafayette.

“Those are the kind of things that are going to help our tournament,” Clark said. “There are a lot of little things people don’t realize. They go out and watch a baseball game and go home. There are little things getting done that help the teams that come to town.”

The field of teams is rounding into shape. By winning the Area Host Tournament on Sunday, Hoosier North joined Lafayette All-Stars as local squads in the 10-team bracket.

Tuesday night, the Lafayette All-Stars and Hoosier North will hold autograph sessions outside Dick’s Sporting Goods at the Tippecanoe Mall from 5-8 p.m.

The foreign berths are also set: Manila, Philippines (Asia Pacific Zone), Praha, Czech Republic (European Zone), Levittown, Puerto Rico, and Guasave, from the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Some of those teams will stay with host families, and more are needed. Anyone interested should contact Angie Franklin at (765) 404-6713.

Additional U.S. teams will play their way into the tournament in the week ahead.

Fans around the country and world watched games from the past two tournaments via Mulberry Telecommunications’ live webcasts. Clark hopes he can take that one step further for area residents. The board has been raising funds to offer live television coverage via MTC Sports Network and is about $5,000 short just 10 days away from opening night.

While the channel is not offered via Comcast in Lafayette (and therefore shouldn’t hinder attendance much), Clark is thinking big-picture in terms of exposure.

“If we can do live TV it opens up an opportunity to expand to Fox regional sports or CBS regional sports or ESPN or ABC,” Clark said.

Opening night on Aug. 1 will again feature a Champions Game for individuals with disabilities at 6:30 p.m. Those fans returning to the Colt World Series will notice a new paint job and other spruced up accommodations at Loeb Stadium, part of the Lafayette Parks Department’s ongoing refurbishments to the venue that has hosted the tournament for 45 years.

“We’re looking at new decorations in the outfield, bunting, etc. — little things that add up to a lot,” Clark said.

Which is how he and the other volunteers keep making Lafayette an appreciated Colt World Series destination.